A special edition of Coventry’s longest running spoken word event, Fire & Dust in partnership with Apples and Snakes. Audiences can expect an open mic and headline set from John Bernard.
Sign up for open mic on arrival, they will be three minute slots. Open mic names pulled out at random.
John Bernard is a Coventry Poet Laureate, musician, and mentor whose work champions the elevation of young voices. A finalist in BBC Words First 2020, John has become a standout figure in the UK’s poetry and music scene. His powerful performances have featured at major events and venues including Shambala Festival, Godiva Festival, BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and Symphony Hall with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
He has also created commissioned work for a wide range of organisations and brands such as Formula 1, BBC, Flannels, TBN UK, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Belgrade Theatre, and many more.
Beyond the stage, John is deeply involved in community engagement, leading creative workshops that empower young people to find their voice and express themselves through poetry and music.
Apples and Snakes is England’s leading organisation for spoken word with an international reputation for producing engaging, transformative and inspiring experiences for audiences across the UK.
Spoken word trailblazers, the company commissions and produces events, develops artists and runs participation programmes across the country. It exists to amplify ignored voices, support and champion poets and poetry in performance and challenge expectations of what poetry is and can be.
Fire&Dust is Coventry’s premier monthly poetry event. Held every first Thursday of the month at the Priory Visitor Centre, with headline sets from guest poets plus open mic. Fire&Dust is a friendly, supportive environment where everyone’s welcome to share poems and experience live spoken word performances!
